A lengthy losing streak can seem like the death blow to a promising season, but that’s not always the case.
Five teams have weathered losing skids of at least 10 games and still qualified for the postseason, including several in recent seasons. The 2017 Dodgers, 2025 Guardians and 2026 Cubs all dealt with double-digit losing streaks but still made the postseason, and the 2026 Phillies -- who lost 10 in a row early in the season -- could join the list if they clinch a Wild Card spot.
Interestingly, long losing streaks can often be the recipe for sustained winning streaks: All five teams currently on the list also won at least 10 games in a row during the same season. Although no team has yet to win the World Series after a losing skid of at least 10 games, Chicago (or potentially Philadelphia) has the chance to change that this October.
Here are the longest losing streaks by teams that made the postseason.
2017 Dodgers: 11 games (Sept. 2-11)
Final record: 104-58 (Won NL West)
Result: Lost WS
An 11-game losing streak sounds bad enough, but a single run scored on Sept. 1 was the difference between the Dodgers and a 17-game skid in the immediate leadup to the 2017 postseason. To make m...